Rhine

Office / London / Novemeber 2011 / 800 sq m

Nick Leith-Smith was commissioned to design, fit-out and furnish the 800 sq metre space on Bond Street for a private equity firm. The design has a strong contemporary sensibility, with materials are used in a clean, precise way to set up an authoritative, geometrically defined space that conveyed the client's values.

The key feature is a wall of Portland stone, finished in a distinctive ribbed pattern. This cantilevers out over the reception desk, with particular care taken over the junctions and intersections between the two materials. A concealed door within the stonework opens to reveal a discrete meeting room. The reception desk is clad in mirrored bronze and forms a sculptural object within the space. Bronze is also used on the door handles, while floors are oiled oak. Furniture is from Vitra.

The office itself has been subdivided using opaque glazing to create the separation between open plan workspace and private offices, meeting rooms and a video-conference centre and board room. The result is light and open, with the right blend of privacy, professionalism and contemporary forms.